Ian Wallace

Ian Wallace was born in 1943 in England, then moved to Canada with his family and settled in West Vancouver, BC in 1953. Wallace graduated from UBC with an MA in Art History in 1968. He was strongly influenced by professors BC Binning and Ian Baxter who helped him appreciate the potential of “concept” in the development of historical and contemporary imagery. He is a senior member of a group of conceptual artists who became recognized as the “Vancouver School” following an exhibition at the 49th Parallel Gallery in New York City in 1985. He is best known for his contemporary approach to linking painting with photography, and for his critical writings on art and art history. He is also a highly respected educator. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2012.

The ink jet print of Drums and Paint reprises the artist’s interest in the studio experience as an integral part of his collective imagery. His notice of the strong contrast and “rich colour of the paint pot and the canvas surface” struck a resonance with him as did the “memory of sound” implied by his drum hit. The architectural composition of this photo work reflects Wallace’s formal interest in linear space and the bold, warm colour imbues a strength, which is Wallace at his existential best.